Power tool and debris extraction system therefor

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to the provision of a power tool, such as a sander, which has a working portion which, when moved with respect to a workpiece creates debris. The invention provides a debris collection bag mounted in a housing on the power tool body which allows for the collection of debris from the vicinity of the working portion. The debris collection bag is selectively removable for discarding the debris and/or washing.

The present invention relates to a power tool and to a debris extractionsystem therefor.

Although the following description refers almost exclusively to a powertool in the form of a sanding device, it will be appreciated by personsskilled in the art that the present invention can be used with any powertool in which debris is generated and a debris extraction system isrequired, such as a power tool in the form of a jigsaw and/or the like.

Sanding devices are known and are used for rapidly sanding a requiredsurface to make said surface smooth, remove one or more layers of aparticular substance therefrom, such as paint or vanish and/or forpreparing the surface for application of one or more substance layersthereon, such as paint or vanish. These sanding devices typicallyinclude a body portion housing drive means for driving the movement of asanding plate in one or more required directions. Sanding materialhaving a suitably abrasive surface, such as sand paper, is attached toan outer surface of the sanding plate with the abrasive surfaceoutermost. The abrasive surface of the sanding material is thenpositioned in contact with a wall surface requiring sanding and rapidmovement of the sanding material against the wall surface driven by saiddrive means results in the sanding process.

It is well known that powered sanding devices, such as a device of thetype described above, generate substantial amounts of debris in use.This debris can be harmful to the user if inhaled, can get into theuser's eyes, typically making the user's eyes sore, restricts the user'sview of the surface being sanded and covers the locality in which thesanding is taking place with a layer of debris, which is undesirable. Inorder to reduce or prevent these problems, sanding devices can beprovided with debris extraction systems. The majority of these debrisextraction systems utilize a suction pump which generates an air flowfor sucking air surrounding the sanding plate to a position remote fromthe sanding plate. The debris is then filtered from the airflow via theuse of a selectively permeable bag or via filter means.

A problem with these conventional debris extraction systems is that thebag or filter means can quickly become clogged. As the air pressurebuilds up against the clogged bag or filter means, this either forcesthe bag off the sanding device, thereby resulting in spillage of alreadycollected debris into the surrounding area or greatly reduces theefficiency with which debris can be extracted from the sanding surface.Furthermore, removal of the bag from the sanding device often results inspillage of debris, thereby typically requiring the sanding device to bemoved to an outdoors location or over a bin for emptying. This isinconvenient and time consuming for the user and may not always bepossible.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a powertool and debris extraction system for use therewith which overcomes theabovementioned problems and which allows easy and efficient removal ofdebris therefrom.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided apower tool, said power tool including a working portion which generatesdebris in use, drive means for selective actuation to provide drivingmovement of the working portion in use and debris extraction means forextracting debris from the area at and adjacent to said working portionof said power tool to a position remote from said working portion andwherein said debris extraction means includes at least one housing inwhich a debris collection bag is removably located therein.

The debris extraction means typically includes the use of one or moreair flows for transporting debris generated via use of the workingportion of the tool with an object or surface, from a locality adjacentthe working portion of the tool to a location remote from the workingportion of the tool. For example, suction means can be provided with thedevice for sucking the debris and air from the working portion of thetool to the housing and debris collection bag remote from the workingportion of the tool.

The advantage of providing the debris collection bag to be removablylocated with the housing, allows the bag to be removed, replaced and/orrepaired as often as required. Since the bag is located in the housingduring use, the housing limits or prevents the spread of debris as aresult of the bag becoming full, allows the user to easily transport thebag to a required location for emptying without moving the entire powertool and without spillage of debris.

Preferably the housing is detachably attached to the power tool to allowremoval of the housing therefrom and/or for cleaning said housing. Thedebris collection bag can be removed with the housing from the powertool, thereby allowing the debris collection to be transported in thehousing to a suitable disposal point for emptying the debris from thehousing,

The housing is detachably attached to said power tool via any or anycombination of complementary screw threaded means, bayonet fitting,friction fit, screws, clips, ties and/or the like.

Preferably the housing and the debris collection bag are located at therear of the power tool and typically remote from the working portion ofthe power tool, i.e. the saw, sanding plate, drill head and/or the like.

Preferably the housing has one or more apertures located therein for thepassage of airflow therethrough.

Preferably the debris collection bag is formed from a material which issufficiently porous to allow air flow therethrough but which preventsthe flow of debris therethrough. Thus, a material is chosen having asuitable pore size, such as a polypropylene woven fabric.

The debris collection bag is typically formed, at least in part, from asubstantially flexible material and the housing is typically formed froma substantially rigid material.

The present invention has the advantage that the housing provides animproved aesthetic appearance to the power tool whilst providingefficient debris extraction. The provision of the debris collection bagbeing removably located in the housing allows emptying of the bagwithout the problems of spillage associated with the prior art. Thedebris collection bag can be used a plurality of times and is typicallyformed from a material which allows the same to be washed and cleaned,thereby allow reuse of the same.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda debris extraction system for use with a power tool, said debrisextraction system including at least one housing or cartridge in which adebris collection bag is removably located therein said housing orcartridge detachably attachable to the power tool.

Preferably the housing is provided with attachment means for detachablyattaching said housing to said power tool in use and to allow removal ofthe collection bag for cleaning. In one embodiment the debris collectionbag is capable of being washed and reused to avoid the need forreplacement of the bag on every emptying of the same.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provideda sanding device, said sanding device including sanding means forsanding a required surface, drive means for driving movement of saidsanding means in one or more required directions and debris extractionmeans for extracting debris adjacent said surface to a position remotefrom said surface and wherein said debris extraction means includes atleast one housing in which a debris collection bag is removably locatedtherein.

According to a yet further aspect of the present invention there isprovided a debris extraction system for use with a sanding device, saiddebris extraction system including at least one housing in which adebris collection bag is removably located therein.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of part of a sanding device according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the view of FIG. 1 with the debris collectionapparatus of the invention removed; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the debris collection means of the presentinvention shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated the part of a handheld power tool, in this case in the form of a sanding device 2, throughwhich debris such as dust, shavings or any combination of debris passesto be extracted The sanding device includes a body portion, a sandingplate, a handle portion 8 attached to body portion and a debrisextraction system 10 detachably attached to the rear 12 of the bodyportion 4.

The body portion 4 houses a motor and drive mechanism (not shown) whichdrives the movement of the sanding plate in one or more requireddirections. A removable sanding member having the required abrasiveproperties on an outer surface thereof is detachably attached to thesanding plate in use, with the abrasive surface outermost. Movement ofthe sanding member against a particular surface results in sanding ofsaid surface. A user typically holds the device 2 via handle portion 8against the surface and moves the device across the surface in arequired direction in addition to the movement of the sanding plate viathe drive means.

Control means in the form of a switch is provided on the body portion 4to allow a user to move the sanding device between an ‘on’ condition,wherein the sanding plate is movable, and an ‘off’ condition, whereinthe sanding plate is stationary, as required. The motor and drivemechanism is powered by mains power supply delivered to the device alongan electrical cable. However, one or more batteries can be provided withthe sanding device in addition to or as an alternative to said mainspower supply.

In order to allow a user to clearly see the surface that they aresanding, to increase the efficiency of the sanding process and toimprove the environment for the user of the device, debris extractionsystem 10 is provided with the sanding device. The debris extractionsystem includes a housing 18, which is detachably attached to an outletaperture 20 via a bayonet fitting 22. FIG. 1 illustrates the housing andthe system in a fitted position for use. FIG. 2 illustrates the housingremoved and shows the bayonet fittings 22. Thus to reposition thehousing the bayonet housing is first inserted into the aperture 20 asindicated by arrow 21 and then rotated as indicated by arrow 23.

FIG. 3 illustrates the components of the debris extraction system 10.The same includes the outer housing 18, a debris collection bag 24,fitted to a neck portion 25 and an annular end fitting 27 in which thebayonet fittings 22 are formed.

The bag 24 is formed form a porous material having a plurality of porestherein which are of such a size so as to allow air flow therethroughbut which prevents the flow of debris therethrough. The debriscollection bag 24 is removably fitted in housing 18 via a substantiallyrigid neck portion 25 typically formed from plastics and thesubstantially flexible porous material is typically heat sealed to theplastic during manufacturing. An attachment portion in the form of anannular end fitting 27 is located over neck portion 25 to trap andsecure the same between the end fitting and the housing 18. Theattachment of the end fitting to the housing is typically by a snap fitor threaded engagement and where required seals can be provided toprevent air loss at the join.

The housing is provided with a series of apertures 30 which allow airflow therethrough.

In use a pump (not shown) provided in body portion 4 of the power tooldirects air flow, and therefore debris such as dust generated from thesanding process, from the sanding surface through a passage 26 formed inbody portion 4, through outlet aperture 20 and into the debrisextraction system 10. The air and debris passes through the fitting 27and into the debris collection bag 24 in housing 18. The bag 24 servesto collect the debris and prevent the same passing further through theextraction system but the plurality of apertures 30 provided in thehousing 18 allow the air which passes through the pores in the bag 24 toexit the housing as indicated by arrows 28. Thus the debris transportedin the airflow from the power tool is prevented from passage throughapertures 30 by the material from which the debris collection bag 24 isformed.

Once the debris extraction system bag 24 becomes full, the user candetach housing 18 from body portion 4 by releasing the bayonet fitting.The user then disconnects the housing from the fitting 27 to remove thedebris collection bag 24 and transports the bag, typically in thehousing to prevent spillage, to a suitable location for emptying of bag24. The bag can then be thrown away, reused or washed for reuse. Thehousing 18 is formed from a substantially rigid material which allowseasy transportation of the same without spillage of the debris thereinand also prevent tears or other damage to the bag during use.

The present invention therefore provides a significant improvement inthe extraction and collection of debris and other debris from powertools of the type such as a sanding device.

1. A power tool, said power tool including a working portion whichgenerates debris in use, drive means for selective activation to providedriving movement of the working portion in use and debris extractionmeans for extracting debris from the area at and adjacent to saidworking portion to a position remote from said working portion andwherein said debris extraction means includes at least one housing inwhich a debris collection bag is removably located.
 2. A power toolaccording to claim 1 wherein the extraction means includes an air flowpassage through which debris from the working portion or adjacentthereto passes to the location remote from the working portion of thetool.
 3. A power tool according to claim 2 wherein the air flow throughthe at least one passage is generated via a suction means.
 4. A powertool according to claim 1 wherein the debris collection bag is removablylocated within the housing to allow the debris collection bag to beemptied and replaced for repeated use.
 5. A power tool according toclaim 4 wherein the housing is detachably mounted to the power tool and,when detached, allows retention and transport of the debris collectionbag to a required location for emptying.
 6. A power tool according toclaim 5 wherein the housing is detachably attached to said power toolvia any or any combination of complimentary screw threaded means,bayonet fitting, friction fit, screws, clips, ties and/or the like.
 7. Apower tool according to claim 1 wherein the housing and debriscollection bag are located at the rear of the working portion on thepower tool.
 8. A power tool according to claim 1 wherein the housing hasone or more apertures located to allow the passage of air therethrough.9. A power tool according to claim 1 wherein the housing and/or debriscollection bag is formed with at least a portion of the walls formed ofair permeable material.
 10. A power tool according to claim 1 whereinthe debris which is located is predominantly fine particles of debris,wood and/or metal.
 11. A debris extraction system for use with a powertool, said debris extraction system including at least one housing inwhich a debris collection bag is removably located therein and saidhousing or detachably attached to the power tool.
 12. A debrisextraction system according to claim 11 wherein the housing is providedwith attachment means for detachably attaching said housing to saidpower tool in use and to allow removal of the collection bag forcleaning.
 13. A powered sanding tool, said sanding tool including aworking portion in the form of an abrasive surface for sanding aworkpiece, drive means for driving movement of said working portion inone or more required directions and extraction means for extractingdebris from an area at or adjacent said workpiece and working portion toa location remote from said surface and wherein said extraction meansincludes at least one housing in which a debris collection bag isremovably located, said housing communicating with the working portionvia at least one aperture at or adjacent to the working portion and oneor more passages connecting the said at least one aperture with the saidhousing.
 14. A powered sanding tool according to claim 13 wherein saidhousing has the debris collection has removably located therein.